“The family of ingrates!“They have some nerve to threaten and manipulate me.”Phoenix was livid. She, a senior member of the Ridgesouth Quints, had always been superior and the center of attention. No one would defy her. Phoenix believed Hector’s family would not rebel against her. However, Kaze and Darcy had been nothing but a menace since her arrival in Riverbank. Kaze even put her behind bars for a few hours. Phoenix had never been so humiliated. She had had enough. The other family members in the South River State kept to themselves, not wanting to be at the firing end. Phoenix had dragged two family members out to the corridor to punish them for saying something she did not like. They could still hear the echoes of the slapping sound. Anxiety washed over the ward. Joan and her family were desperate. With Phoenix’s help, Joan finally seized Sky Ocean Corporation for her own, only to be blindsided by Perfect World Group and the Riverbank council. The corpora
Phoenix uttered indignantly, “That’s fresh coming from Kent. “Didn’t you tell them that you were there on my behalf?“I’m a senior member of the Ridgesouth Quints. Can’t they just hand the rights to use the land to us?” Dark said resentfully, “According to the Riverbank council, they only answer to Darcy, not the Ridgesouth Quints.” “Oh, brilliant. Just brilliant.” Phoenix smirked furiously. “Kent has no respect for me. The Westeros Synders will pay for this!“What’s the situation like in Lilyrose? What does Perfect World Group have to say about this? Don’t tell me only Darcy can handle the business deals?” Dark grimaced hard. “Ma’am, when I said that I was representing you, I wasn’t even allowed into the premises.” …Humiliated, Phoenix froze. As tension rose, Phoenix jolted to her feet exasperatedly and slammed the table. “That’s pushing it!” With Phoenix seething in rage, some family members had ideas of their own. Phoenix had been acting high and mighty, looki
Though it was infuriating that Kaze cost Darcy her job at Sky Ocean Corporation, Hector was willing to give Kaze another chance for some reason. He was curious whether Kaze was telling the truth. Hector had been taking the calls since yesterday while keeping Agnes out of the loop. “Kaze was right.” Hector looked at Kaze with a mix of emotions, and there was one thing he did not understand. “I just don’t get how he got Perfect World Group and Mayor Synder to follow through with his instructions.” It was a debt and project worth tens of billions.Even if Kaze had ties to Perfect World Group and Kent, it was a big personal favor to ask. Hector could not figure it out. Agnes’ jaw opened, and she glanced at Kaze before tugging at him. “Have a seat, Kaze. Have you had breakfast? Come. Do you want milk with your cereal?” She was always quick to adapt to the situation. Her attitude toward Kaze took a 180 turn. Agnes was not one to reflect on herself. She did not care what Ka
“You’re finally getting brighter,” Hector said with a soft sigh. When Darcy became the branch head of the Quints, Agnes was the happiest because she thought the family had hit the jackpot. She foolishly thought her family’s status would surge, which fueled her arrogance along the way. Now, after what had happened, she finally woke up and saw the truth. “What else do you know other than mocking me in my face?” Agnes glared at her husband. Hector said helplessly, “I just want you to see things clearer and if your demands are too much, Madam Phoenix might not agree to them. She might even forfeit the negotiation. “After all, Sky Ocean Corporation belongs to Darcy and it’s her blood and sweat, not Madam Quint’s. So, even if the company goes bankrupt, she has nothing to lose.” Agnes pondered for a moment and realized her husband’s words made sense. Fear caught up to her immediately. She quickly said, “Kaze, then let’s not make so many demands. Let’s just appoint Darcy as the
The group of five strode into the living room. Looking at Dark, who exuded the same ominous aura as her daughter, Shadow, Agnes, who had been advising Kaze on how to negotiate with Phoenix, shuddered and shrank back in fear. The anger on her face was quickly replaced by a timid and flattering smile. “Madam Dark? What brings you here? Welcome to our humble abode!” Dark served Phoenix, so every member of the Quints in the South River State showed her the same respect as the elder of the family. After showing a flattering smile at Dark, Agnes turned around to her husband with furrowed brows and bellowed, “Hector, what are you doing there? Go prepare tea for our guests! “Madam Dark basically grew up with Madam Quint, they are as close as sisters! If we don’t serve her properly, we might not be able to make a stand in Riverbank anymore!” She then turned back to Dark and said respectfully, “Madam Dark, ladies, this way, please. Have a seat and we’ll prepare the best tea we have
The other three experts of the Quints scoffed as they stared at Darcy. Darcy might be more beautiful than them but she would have to lose one of her legs. A beautiful cripple would be an interesting scene for them to enjoy. “What?! One of Darcy’s legs?!” Hector and Agnes were shocked by Dark’s words. Sky stepped up to express his dissatisfaction, saying, “What did Darcy do wrong? Why are you people punishing her? “Even if Darcy did something wrong, breaking one of her legs is too much! Are you people savages? How can you set up such an inhuman punishment in the family—” “Slap!” Before he could finish, Dark darted forward and slapped Sky in the face. “Ignorant boy! Who do you think you are, talking to me like that? Are you deaf? I have already announced Darcy Quint’s punishment! Do you not understand English? “Savage? Who are you calling savage? As the branch head of the Quints, Darcy colluded with outsiders to harm the head of the family. Breaking one of her legs i
Agnes nodded repeatedly and anxiously. “Darcy is right! Don’t you mess around here, you’re going to ruin the Quints’ reputation!” She still believed that Phoenix needed their help and would not sever all ties at once. This must be just an intimidation tactic. “Slap!” Dark stepped up and slapped Agnes in the face. “Ruin the family’s reputation? Look in the mirror and see who you really are! You think you are in the position to say that in my face? “I’m warning you. Even if I killed all of you here, it wouldn’t affect the Quints’ reputation at all. Don’t waste my time, I have limited patience. I am just here to break one of Darcy’s legs!” She then pointed at Darcy. “You know what we can do. If you don’t want your family to suffer, get over here and receive your punishment!” Agnes covered her face in resentment but she dared not defy Dark anymore. Dark was not just Phoenix’s loyal servant. Dark and her daughter, Shadow, were martial arts experts. If the two of them lost
“Madam Dark, please don’t mind him! Everyone knows Kaze is not that bright and he speaks without thinking! We can't even hold him back at times!” Agnes turned on Kaze almost immediately. Kaze was not surprised by Agnes’ “betrayal”. She would not be Agnes if she did not sell Kaze out. Seeing the reverence in Agnes' eyes, Dark's expression twisted further with sheer contempt and scorn. Given his position, Kaze was nothing but a fool to challenge her. She looked at Kaze condescendingly and said coldly, “Young Man, break your own arm and step aside and I won’t hold you responsible for what you just said. Or else, I will take both your hands for the irresponsible words that you—” Before she could finish, Kaze’s expression darkened and he bellowed, “Get out of my face!” “What?!” Dark cried sharply, “Who do you think you are?! How dare you say that in my face! Do you know what you are saying? If I don’t break you today, you won’t know how to respect your elders!” She raise
As they arrived, they saw a dozen expensive cars parked outside. The customer base was relatively stable as the establishment was targeted at the upper class. The people lining up at the club were young men and women of ordinary background. All were allowed inside Absolute Zero with an entrance fee. Since this would be a chance for ordinary people to meet and interact with the upper-class elites, they cherished it and tried their best to look good. Even movie producers and scriptwriters came to the club, seeking investments or a role in movie production. It was a shortcut to reach out to the upper crust after all. Yet they were just a bunch of fresh graduates with no resources and connections, so the club was their only chance at achieving something great. Dwight would never understand how rare the opportunity was, as he was narrow-sighted. He had never experienced power and wealth before, so he lacked the understanding of how things worked in society. “I never thought
With that in mind, Dwight checked his outfit. His black leather jacket brought out his height and wild side. He then observed Kaze. The latter was dressed casually. Dwight was worried that they would not be allowed into Absolute Zero because of their attire. Nevertheless, he could not let slip that he had never been to Absolute Zero. Without a word, Dwight led Kaze down the apartment building. Kaze could pick up on Dwight’s nerves. While in the elevator, Dwight could not stop straightening out his clothes. It was clear that he was nervous. Even so, Kaze said nothing and pretended not to notice. They got into the car and drove to an alley. The area was not huge, but there were stands selling street food. “The food is great here. Since it’s early, we can grab a bite.” Dwight was not being tight with money. As their destination was a bar, there was no need to get a proper meal. “I’ll get a skewer then.” Kaze did not have much of an appetite anyway. “Okay. I’ll or
“You’re the guest. I should be hosting you, but I don’t seem to be doing a good job.” Dwight knew he had to do better. “It’s okay. I don’t have much to do. It’s just a delivery anyway.” Kaze bought a lot of stuff online. All they had to do was wait for the delivery. Once the items arrived, they could head out. Dwight talked about taking him to a bar under the Viper’s Den’s umbrella. It was a great opportunity for Kaze to check out the scene. He had heard that the Wittersons were tied to all the Viper’s Den’s business operations.Kaze would not meet Edmund and Morris in person, but he would grasp all information related to them. Then, Kaze would stir things up between them and sit back while reaping the benefits. Kaze had it all planned out. He simply had to take his time in playing the long game. Nevertheless, it was important for him to remain discreet. At the very least, he should not show them what he was made of. It was easy to execute his plan when everybody
Kaze rose to his feet and took something out of his bag. Putting on his jacket, he was on his way out. Dwight was out of his room, too. He left his room for a glass of water and waited for Kaze to get out of the room after his nap. Dwight had a drink in the kitchen. He took an apple and chomped on it. Looking at the fruit on the table, Dwight grabbed a plate to arrange it neatly.He took out his phone to pass the time while waiting for Kaze. Kaze emerged from the room and saw Dwight. “You’re up at last. You’ve slept half the day away. Are you still tired? I can wait if you need to catch some sleep.” Dwight kept Herman’s memo to look after Kaze. “A little. I didn’t get any sleep last night. I was waiting to get on the plane.” Kaze took the red-eye flight yesterday. Dwight allowed time for Kaze to rest, knowing his travel schedule. “I know. Did you manage to get some good sleep? If you haven’t, you can go back to bed. I can grab some food for you.” Dwight’s plan
“Your main responsibility is to entertain Kaze. You will be rewarded for good work,” Herman said. Dwight nodded incessantly. “Thank you for thinking of me, Herman. I won’t forget this.” “I’d be grateful so long as you stay out of trouble. “Just focus on what you should do and take good care of Kaze.” Herman worried that Dwight might get ahead of himself and forget his primary duties. Dwight’s priority was Kaze’s well-being. The whole thing would be over if Dwight kept to himself and served Kaze until he was gone. There would be a problem if something were to happen. Without Edmund’s instructions, Herman would never have assigned a job to Dwight. It could be a good thing, though. At least, a job might keep him on the straight and narrow. “Relax. You can count on me,” Dwight said with glee.That was a nice surprise. Dwight did not see it coming. It was just incredible. Herman still could not shake off his worry. However, he had said his piece. It was pointless t
Herman’s smile vanished. His red, irritated skin was playing up. Due to alcohol in his system, Herman could not see straight. He had to grit his teeth to hold back the urge to retch. Herman was not one to drink. Yet, he would have to go through Edmund’s loyalty test every time, and he was reaching a boiling point. However, he understood that he needed to suck it up to gain Edmund’s trust. “You must be Herman. Mr. Witterson. Should I take the things to your car, or should I deliver them to your home?” asked a uniformed server who approached. “Put them in the car and get me a designated driver,” Herman replied. He headed to the lobby while propping himself against the wall. “Okay. There will be a driver out front, ready for your service.” The server tried to help Herman up, but was declined. Herman saw the cartons of alcohol and cigarettes in the lobby. Edmund had always been generous in giving out stuff like this. “These are from Mr. Witterson. You’re lucky to work for
“Kaze can pull the punches for sure. I mean, he has the Butterworth branch chief’s trust for a reason. “There has to be something for him to win the branch chief’s approval.” Edmund doubted there was depth to Kaze. After all, Edmund decided whether to take on a person based on their abilities. It made no sense to pay attention to losers, as he would hold them in contempt. Edmund had been impressed with Herman, who excelled in strategies and management. That was why Edmund bumped Herman up and made sure he stayed on top. “Got it.” Herman nodded and had one foot out the door. “Don’t be in a hurry to leave. There’s one more thing.” Edmund pointed at the table. Herman approached and stood on bent knees. Pleased with Herman’s submission, Edmund passed him a wine glass. Herman took the drink humbly before looking carefully at Edmund, awaiting his orders. “The wine was just airlifted from abroad. I can vouch for the taste. If you’re looking to sip on the finest, yo
Time went by, and a towering man in a suit showed up outside the door. Picking up on the noise inside the room, he knocked on the door. It was hard to tell whether the person inside could hear the knocking, so the man waited outside. The door was opened, and a woman, her face flawless with makeup, popped her head out and saw him. She cocked her head back at Edmund. “You have a guest, Mr. Witterson.” “Let him in,” Edmund instructed. He then leaned in to take the drink from the girl next to him with his mouth. The other girls cheered him on. The group was lost in their fun. The man, who entered the room, stood by the sofa respectfully. He kept his head down, his gaze staying low at the bottles of alcohol spread across the table. It was a bit of a wait before the man approached at Edmund’s order. “Tell me about Dwight.”While listening to the girls’ singing, Edmund turned to Herman. Herman rushed over as soon as Edmund called. He won a lot of money at poker toda
In this particular circumstance, Morris had to play it safe so that things would not get out of hand. The last thing he wanted was to be dragged into the mess. At least, he finally saw the Wittersons’ true colors. Morris’ friendly advice was met with disrespect and insult. However, the Wittersons were a force of nature, and Morris was not about to take them head-on. Despite his frustration, Morris had to walk away. Well, Edmund would soon face his downfall at the height of his power, and Morris would be there to enjoy the ride. Still, it did not sit well with Morris to have a young fella walk all over him. It had crossed his mind to keep the Wittersons in check, but there was only so much he could do. Morris had to be the one to back away as the Wittersons grew haughty. Morris believed there was more to Kaze’s visit to Westeros. Nothing major happened in Westeros recently. At least, there was nothing worth the other branch’s attention. However, a representative of the